 |
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
voting locations; political party observers
Purpose
Adds on-site and emergency early voting locations, and other early voting locations, to the voting locations at which a county party chairperson may designate persons to act as challengers. Requires, rather than allows, persons designated by the county chairperson to act as challenger for that party.
Background
The county chairperson for each political party in each precinct may designate, by written appointment and for a polling place within the precinct, a party agent or representative and alternates who may act as challengers for the respective political party. At each voting place one challenger may be present and act, but no challenger may enter a voting booth, except to mark the person's own ballot. Any qualified elector of the county may also orally challenge a person offering to vote as not qualified or on the ground that the person has voted before at that election. If the person being challenged appears to be registered, the person must take and subscribe to the oath in the affidavit of registration and, if the person chooses, the person may be sworn to fully and truly answer all questions from the inspector that are material to the challenge. If after the examination on the challenge, a majority of the election board is satisfied that the challenge is not valid the person challenged must be allowed to vote. The person challenged must be allowed to vote by provisional ballot if the person: 1) refuses to be sworn or affirmed; 2) refuses to answer questions material to the challenge; or 3) a majority of the election board finds that the challenge is valid (A.R.S. ยงยง 16-590; 16-591; and 16-592).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Allows the county chairperson of each political party to designate a party agent or representative and alternates to act as challengers at on-site and emergency early voting locations, and any other early voting locations, in addition to polling places within the precinct.
2. Requires, rather than allows, the designated party agent or representative to act as a challenger for the party that appointed the agent or representative.
3. Requires, rather than allows, one challenger to be present and act as challenger at each outlined voting location.
4. Makes technical and conforming changes.
5. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
FMAE 1/22/25 DPA 4-3-0-0
3rd Read 2/11/25 32-26-2
Prepared by Senate Research
March 3, 2025
ZD//KS/ci